Stationary gas turbines - a real time dynamic model with experimental validation

Gas turbines represent an important source of electrical power generation and aerospace/marine propulsion around the world. To ensure the dependability of these complex multi-domain systems, a health monitoring system can be attached to the controller in a parallel manner. One important element of an advanced diagnostic strategy is the real time mathematical model that describes the normal system behavior. In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic model will be presented for a stationary gas turbine. The model simulates the transient and steady state gas turbine's nominal operating conditions. This model serves as the basis of an advanced diagnostic strategy to evaluate a stationary gas turbine's overall operation. To validate the model, experimental data has been obtained from a Solar Mercury 50 stationary gas turbine located at Clemson University. Comparisons between the field data and simulation results demonstrate a high degree of correspondence. The model represents a key contribution to the field of real-time stationary gas turbine health management systems